Dylan Crews

Dylan Crews's Biography

Dylan Gray Crews, born February 26, 2002, is an admired American baseball player recognized for his exemplary performances as an outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Much of Crews’ acclaim comes from his early career, showcasing his skills at a college level with the LSU Tigers, during which he received eminent accolades such as the 2023 Golden Spikes Award and consecutively named a two-time consensus All-American. The Nationals saw his potential and took the opportunity to select him second overall in the 2023 MLB draft. The promising athlete then showcased his talent at the major league level, making his debut in 2024.

Crews’ journey began in Altamonte Springs, Florida, where he was born. He later pursued education at Lake Mary High School in Lake Mary, Florida. During that time, his love, skill, and dedication for baseball shone brightly, playing for USA Baseball twice, both at a 14U and 18U level, where he contributed to a gold medal win.

Showing promise from a young age, in 2019, he boasted an impressive .389 batting average coupled with 15 stolen bases as a junior. Later in the summer, he displayed his prowess at Wrigley Field in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game. Despite the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which curtailed his senior season, Crews remained a top prospect for the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. However, he chose to withdraw his name just a week before the draft, deciding to commit to playing college baseball at Louisiana State University.

Crews drove his career forward as LSU’s starting right fielder in his freshman year. He made a striking impression, starting 63 games during the season, managing a batting average of .362, hitting 18 home runs, and achieving 42 RBIs, 16 doubles, and 12 stolen bases. This remarkable feat breaking the prior record for the LSU freshman set by Mike Fontenot, coupled with his recognition as All-American and National Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game, cemented his reputation as a rising star.

In his following year, 2022, Crews transitioned to the center field position. His great performances earned him the co-Southeastern Conference Baseball Player of the Year title, alongside Sonny DiChiara. Crews held an impressive scorecard, having played in 62 games with a batting performance of .349/.463/.691, combining 22 home runs and 72 RBIs. He ended the year with an invitation to play with USA Baseball once more.

In 2023, Crews continued his upward trajectory, batting .426 with 18 homers, 70 RBIs, and a massive 100 runs scored. His performance played an instrumental role in leading LSU to win the 2023 Men’s College World Series.

Ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft, Crews was speculated as a top prospect. Several outlets, including MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, FanSided, and Perfect Game, predicted Crews as the first overall selection. However, Crews was chosen by the Washington Nationals as the second overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft, and on July 21, 2023, he signed with the Nationals for a generous $9 million signing bonus.

Crews started his professional career with Single-A Fredericksburg Nationals after one game in the Florida Complex League, where he left his mark by hitting 3-for-3. His rise was quick, and by August 20, Crews moved up to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators, following his impressive performance of .355/.423/.645 slash line with the FredNats. In total, Crews ended his first professional year with a combined slash line of .292/.377/.467, hitting five home runs and 24 RBIs across 35 games.

Crews’ 2024 season commenced with Harrisburg, in which he hit .274/.343/.446, and contributed five home runs, 38 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. On June 17, Crews was promoted to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, and later in August, he made his official debut in the major leagues.

Renowned for being a “plus hitter with plus power,” Crews’ right-handed stroke has been consistently praised. Though he has been noted to occasionally miss on changeups, his overall performance as an outfielder is at least average, showing effective tracking of fly balls and decent arm strength, which indicates potential for playing center field at a major league level. His prowess on the field leading him to be characterized as a five-tool player by a number of observers.

Crews’ preparedness for the college level was notably commended by former LSU head coach Paul Mainieri, who compared his readiness to the likes of alumni DJ LeMahieu and Alex Bregman. Given all of his accomplishments, there’s no doubt that Dylan Gray Crews is a force to be reckoned with in Major League Baseball. His journey so far is a testament to his talent, dedication, and hard work that makes him shine as an outstanding baseball player.